1 Samuel 28:1-25
So, remember when David confronted Saul about his mortal pursuit and proved that he had no ill will toward him by sparing his life when given the chance to take it? Do you remember how Saul was so remorseful and repentant and blessed David for his kindness and asked him for mercy when he took the throne? Well, that didn't last too long. All it took was for those meddlesome men of Ziph to stir the pot a little and Saul was right back at it.
He went after David, setting up camp outside his hiding place, and then he waited. But, while he waited, he and the 3,000 troops he took with him slept; including his armor bearer, Abner. And while they slept, David and one of his men, Abishai, went into their camp taking his spear and water jug, instead of his life. Once they were a safe distance away, David shouted out to them, awakening them and proving his point yet again. Again, Saul was ashamed and blessed David for his kindness and they went their separate ways.
This time, though, David was through. He said to himself, the only way to truly keep Saul from chasing me is to hide among his greater enemy, the Philistines. So he did just that. It took a little convincing of King Achish, but he talked his way into some land. Of course, the king's hesitation was justified when David and his men secretly raided the Philistine towns, killing everyone in them. But, no witnesses meant no proof, so King Achish was never any the wiser.
And that brings us to the current Scripture. Now, the Philistines are ready to attack Israel again and since David and his men are living in their territory, King Achish feels like he has the upper hand and demands that David fight for him. Well, David's no fool, so he agreed and even boasted about how he would prove himself to the king. Meanwhile, Saul is busy trying to consult with God in preparation for the attack. But, remember, Samuel has died and God is not talking to Saul. So, what is he going to do now?
The "next best thing". Even though he had banned them after Samuel's death, Saul went to consult a medium for help. He dressed up in a disguise and went to Endor, where she was. Even with that, she was reluctant to help because the penalty was death, but Saul assured her she would not be harmed. He asked her to summons Samuel so he could get a word from the Lord. When he appeared, Saul's identity was revealed and she panicked. Saul calmed her down and asked her to proceed.
Well, Samuel gave it to him straight. He asked Saul why he bothered calling him back and Saul explained his predicament. But, Samuel told him that it was useless since he made God his enemy way back in the day when he disobeyed him after defeating the Amalekites. Not only did Samuel drop that bomb, he made it worse when he reminded Saul that his kingdom would be handed over to David and, in fact, he would be defeated by the Philistines the next day.
And...done. Saul fell out on the ground paralyzed with fear. It also didn't help that he had not eaten all that day or night. The medium saw his distress and offered to feed him, but he refused. With a little more convincing from his men, he finally agreed and the woman fed them and sent them on their way.
Sometimes in life, we get in our own way. We do things contrary to what God has told us to do, thinking our way is better. We go after things we have no business pursuing, looking for a greater blessing. We say things we really don't mean, to get what we want or because it's the right thing to say, but our actions betray us. What we really need to do is trust God; really trust him. Not just in word, or even deed, but in our hearts and minds. Otherwise, we continue to set ourselves up for failure, forsaking the very thing we think we are working toward.
So, remember when David confronted Saul about his mortal pursuit and proved that he had no ill will toward him by sparing his life when given the chance to take it? Do you remember how Saul was so remorseful and repentant and blessed David for his kindness and asked him for mercy when he took the throne? Well, that didn't last too long. All it took was for those meddlesome men of Ziph to stir the pot a little and Saul was right back at it.
He went after David, setting up camp outside his hiding place, and then he waited. But, while he waited, he and the 3,000 troops he took with him slept; including his armor bearer, Abner. And while they slept, David and one of his men, Abishai, went into their camp taking his spear and water jug, instead of his life. Once they were a safe distance away, David shouted out to them, awakening them and proving his point yet again. Again, Saul was ashamed and blessed David for his kindness and they went their separate ways.
This time, though, David was through. He said to himself, the only way to truly keep Saul from chasing me is to hide among his greater enemy, the Philistines. So he did just that. It took a little convincing of King Achish, but he talked his way into some land. Of course, the king's hesitation was justified when David and his men secretly raided the Philistine towns, killing everyone in them. But, no witnesses meant no proof, so King Achish was never any the wiser.
And that brings us to the current Scripture. Now, the Philistines are ready to attack Israel again and since David and his men are living in their territory, King Achish feels like he has the upper hand and demands that David fight for him. Well, David's no fool, so he agreed and even boasted about how he would prove himself to the king. Meanwhile, Saul is busy trying to consult with God in preparation for the attack. But, remember, Samuel has died and God is not talking to Saul. So, what is he going to do now?
The "next best thing". Even though he had banned them after Samuel's death, Saul went to consult a medium for help. He dressed up in a disguise and went to Endor, where she was. Even with that, she was reluctant to help because the penalty was death, but Saul assured her she would not be harmed. He asked her to summons Samuel so he could get a word from the Lord. When he appeared, Saul's identity was revealed and she panicked. Saul calmed her down and asked her to proceed.
Well, Samuel gave it to him straight. He asked Saul why he bothered calling him back and Saul explained his predicament. But, Samuel told him that it was useless since he made God his enemy way back in the day when he disobeyed him after defeating the Amalekites. Not only did Samuel drop that bomb, he made it worse when he reminded Saul that his kingdom would be handed over to David and, in fact, he would be defeated by the Philistines the next day.
And...done. Saul fell out on the ground paralyzed with fear. It also didn't help that he had not eaten all that day or night. The medium saw his distress and offered to feed him, but he refused. With a little more convincing from his men, he finally agreed and the woman fed them and sent them on their way.
Sometimes in life, we get in our own way. We do things contrary to what God has told us to do, thinking our way is better. We go after things we have no business pursuing, looking for a greater blessing. We say things we really don't mean, to get what we want or because it's the right thing to say, but our actions betray us. What we really need to do is trust God; really trust him. Not just in word, or even deed, but in our hearts and minds. Otherwise, we continue to set ourselves up for failure, forsaking the very thing we think we are working toward.
Lord, please help us to obey your Word, even before sacrifice. Help us to trust that your will shall be done and it is best for us. Please keep us out of your way, as well as our own. God, I pray for peace in the midst of our trials, and faith despite opposition. Give us a heart like yours, to do what you would have us to do, just as David did. We love you, Lord; help us to show you through our lives. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for reading! Your comments and feedback are welcomed and appreciated.